Together
by CookiesPlusCream
Summary: Carmen's adventures get bigger and better...especially since she changes...and more especially since she falls in love...Set when she's 16, and so are most of the others.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, come on, Carmen, you have to admit it's weird!" Lily said, causing Carmen to glare.

"Nope. It's not weird that two couples of the same gender love each other…besides, we already established this, Gus left ages ago." Carmen said.

"What? Just because your mum doesn't care about you and neither does your dad, doesn't mean everyone doesn't need a dad." Lily said.

Carmen's eyes flared. She suddenly lunged at Lily and began to hit her, clawing at her and pulling her hair too. They fell to the ground, shrieking and shouting and hitting.

Mike and Gina pulled the two girls apart, and all the kids were staring.

Carmen had nothing at all, no wounds; Lily had a black eye and a bleeding lip.

Before the words could leave Mike's mouth Carmen stormed outside, to see someone standing there…

"…Mum? Dad?" Carmen whispered.

She…recognized him, a bit…and she definitely recognized her mother.

"Hello, sweetheart." He said carefully.

Her eyes suddenly blazed. "Get out."

"What?" Helen blinked.

"BOTH OF YOU GET OUT!" Carmen yelled, turning away.

"Carmen?" a small voice said.

Carmen whipped around to see a little girl hanging onto Helen's hand.

"….She's….she's not….?" Carmen whispered.

"She's your sister." Her father, James, said.

Carmen paled. "You…had another daughter?" she said, staring at her parents.

"Told you they didn't care about you!" Lily shouted from behind. The kids had gathered there.

"Shut up, Lily." Tee, Rick, Johnny, Elektra and Jody chorused.

"No, she's right…just leave me here, I don't want to see you!" she said, before running upstairs to her room.

She suddenly saw all the pink and stiffened. Her mother and her sister…they were wearing pink. Carmen's hands scrabbled at everything she could find and she grabbed some scissors. She began to tear and cut, getting rid of everything. She ripped the wallpaper down and threw white paint from Tyler's room onto every single wall. Soon her room was bare and plain, clothes and rugs and bedding and shoes all broken in pieces on the floor.

Carmen sat down in between the two beds and began to cry. She got up, wiping her tears, and ran into Elektra's room. Grabbing some clothes from her and Faith's wardrobe, she sewed them neatly to fit her. She put them on, threw out all her pink stuff except her phone (which she covered with red and white stickers). She put her phone in her pocket, stole money from every single room except Johnny's, and climbed out of the window.

She ran away from Elm Tree House with her hair flowing out behind her, pulling the black hood over her head as she went.

Carmen was a runaway.


	2. Chapter 2

Carmen sat in a café, wolfing down her burger before paying, then leaving. She wasn't staying in any place for too long, so that the DG wouldn't find her.

She wandered along the streets, her hands in Faith's pockets. She knew this hoodie was hers; and she felt a pang of guilt. But she didn't want any more pink. No more.

"Where is she?!" Tee demanded.

"She's left. We found all her stuff on the floor, every single thing that was pink, all torn and cut up. Plus, Elektra and Faith have had some things stolen, except for shoes, and some of Gina's thread for sewing is gone." Mike said.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be looking out for her?" Elektra asked.

"The police are, and we were about to ask if any of you want to come."

"Me!" Tee, Rick, Johnny and Faith chorused, so the four went after Mike, into the van, and they drove off.

Carmen was suddenly shoved against the side of the wall, and she looked down, gulping. There was the sea.

"Give me all you've got!" the teenager hissed.

"NO!" Carmen shouted, and he kicked her in the shins.

She shrieked in pain. "I'm not giving you anything." She said.

"Do it, girly, now! Do you want to drown, huh?!" he demanded. "That water is too rough to be able to swim, so unless you cough up, I'm going to throw you in!" he growled.

"No." she said, and he grinned, somewhat wickedly.

"Alright, darling. Have it your way." And with that, he shoved her hard in the chest.

"CARMEN!" Mike shouted. He was running over, Faith, Rick, Johnny and Tee close behind.

Carmen was falling, though. She could hear their screams, and she could vaguely see Tee hanging over the edge, and Faith holding her firmly.

But before Carmen could open her mouth to scream she felt the water engulf her, wrapping her in an embrace; under the water, the crashing of the waves was somewhat calming, Carmen opened her eyes and looked around her at the clear water. It really was beautiful. She let her eyes flutter shut. Her breath was running out.

Carmen suddenly saw someone come crashing into the water; the person grabbed her hand and pulled her to them. Carmen's eyes flew open and she vaguely saw Rick, before suddenly she was on the street again, coughing and spluttering. Her phone had fallen out, onto the road, and Faith had it in her hand.

Rick had taken off his shirt and peeled the hoodie off of Carmen; letting her keep Elektra's shirt, he put his shirt over hers.

_He took it off._

_Wow, he's fit, _Carmen thought, as a now-shirtless Rick carried her over to the van. Mike lent him a spare t-shirt from the back of the van, and he put it on. Carmen was slightly disappointed, since she'd been enjoying the view.

The whole was home, Carmen was lying in Rick's lap.

"I'm sorry." She whispered suddenly.

"You don't need to be." Rick replied.

"I do." She said, and she felt his hand grasp hers.

"It's okay, Carmen, it really is." He said softly.

"Thank you…for saving me…" she said, closing her eyes as he ran his fingers through her wet hair.

"You're welcome." Rick whispered, and for some reason that sent a shiver up Carmen's spine.

Carmen opened her eyes; her room was red and aqua colored. She remembered; the others had all been put in charge of doing her room while Gina got clothes and stuff for Carmen.

Carmen sat up in her bed and saw Rick asleep on the beanbag next to her bed; along with Johnny and Tee. Carmen smiled and threw a blanket over Johnny and Tee, and one over Rick, and then she went back to sleep.


End file.
